We get it. People love having white teeth. The only thing better than white teeth? White teeth at bargain basement prices. Or without having to go to the dentist. Or that are on-trend with the love of DIY options and life hacks. In every town across the country, people are purchasing teeth whitening kits at grocery stores instead of going to the dentist. Many people even forego those whitening kits in favour of DIY home remedies. Just “google” it if you haven’t already. Home remedies for whiter teeth abound! But are they worth a thing?
Let’s consider three commonly touted home remedies for teeth whitening near you to see whether they’re worth your time and effort. Then — spoiler alert! — we’ll tell you about the best option for whiter teeth faster, safer, and longer: professional teeth whitening in South Edmonton.
Does a combination of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda work?
Short answer to the question? It’s a hard “no.” There’s no doubt that baking soda helps to clean your teeth. After all, it’s a standard ingredient in many brands and types of toothpastes. Its grittiness has an abrasive effect on stains, and its chemistry helps to address bacteria in your mouth. What it won’t do, though, is whiten your teeth since it has no bleaching ability.
What about hydrogen peroxide? You know, the stuff that classically comes in the little brown bottles at the drugstore? Hydrogen peroxide can whiten your teeth, but here’s the rub. Hydrogen peroxide you can buy at drug stores is just too weak to have any whitening effect when mixed with baking soda. Even dilution by the saliva in your mouth will render it unhelpful. A dentist in South Edmonton may use bleaching compounds containing hydrogen peroxide, but at much stronger concentrations applied directly to your teeth with specialized equipment and lighting to activate its bleaching effect.
Can you get whiter teeth using fruit peels?
If only you could get whiter teeth by rubbing them with a banana, orange, or lemon peel. That’s the promise that is made by many websites and blogs. Let’s break it down. First, will rubbing your teeth with a banana peel make them whiter? No. The good news is that bananas contain potassium and magnesium — both ingredients that may have some positive benefit for teeth and bones, but that won’t make them any whiter. The nitrate in that potassium may temporarily make them a bit shinier, but not any whiter.
What about citrus peels? Rubbing your teeth with acid-laden peels from oranges, lemons, limes will not only not whiten your teeth, it’s harmful. Rubbing your teeth with acids contained in those fruits won’t make whiter teeth; it’ll make cavities.
Can you remove stains with “oil pulling”?
Oil pulling gets extra marks for being an ancient Ayurvedic dental practice sometimes called kavala or gundusha. Swishing a tablespoon of coconut oil around your mouth for up to 20 minutes won’t do any harm, and it may even remove some bacteria from your teeth (though there are more efficient ways of doing that — brushing and flossing for example). What it won’t do, though, is remove stains from your teeth.
These home remedies for whiter teeth won’t accomplish your goal. All they’ll achieve is frustration and the waste of time. If you want whiter teeth quickly, effectively, and safely — no matter how your teeth got stained or discoloured in the first place, contact a dentist in South Edmonton. Cosmetic dentists can transform the appearance of your teeth and the attractiveness of your smile, for as long as a year and in as little as an hour.